Insider Information
by Between.the.Lines888
Summary: Myra Bradley, the daughter of a foreign dignitary, has lived all over the world. But her life if flipped upside down when she discovers she's a demigod. In addition, the gods have chosen her for a risky mission. She is now aboard the Princess Andromeda as a spy. What will happen as she tries to keep her true identity hidden? Luke/OC
1. Put On a Brave Face

Put On a Brave Face

I looked past the people shuffling through airport security and saw the warm and smiling faces of my family. I did not realize that, at that moment, my life was about to become the adventure of a lifetime. All I knew was that I had to put on a brave face as I waved goodbye to my family.

My name is Myra Bradley; and I am not your average sixteen-year-old girl. For as long as I can remember, I had never lived in one place for more than six months. What's more, we lived in New York, Washington D.C., London, Berlin, Moscow, Shanghai, and tons of other cool places. On top of moving constantly, strange things would always happen, like being attacked by mythological creatures. My father is Arthur Bradley, a foreign dignitary for the UN. I never knew my mother; she left me with my father a few months after I was born and we hadn't heard from her since. When I was five, my dad married Elena, my stepmother and they had twins, Edmund and Cailen.

A few days ago my father dropped a bomb on me. He finally told me about my mother. He explained to me about their brief affair and my arrival. He even gave me a letter to him from her. The letter said I needed to be sent to New York to a camp of some sorts when I was eleven. My dad informed me that he never wanted to send me off because he never had the heart to. I packed my bags and was shipped off to the States, alone.

I had gotten used to moving so often, but the goodbyes never got any easier. I guess that is why I always tried to keep people at a distance, so I would not ever have to say goodbye. Every time we changed cities, I smiled and acted like I was fine with it. I did that now as I looked back at my family. But as I turned from my parents and brothers, I let down my façade and tried to suppress the urge to cry.

One thing I was never good at was expressing my emotions in rational ways. My head always help precedent over my heart. Logic was easier to deal with than emotions, so I tried not to deal with them at all. This was a rare moment when I let my defenses down and gave way to my feelings. My parents were the only stable things in my life when our life was not. Now that I was alone, I felt scared and isolated. The airport was a blur as I found my gate automatically. After waiting for a few hours, I boarded the plane and we took off.

I watched as my old life dissolved into the clouds and a new adventure waited over the horizon.

A/N: So, if you are a returning reader, then you will realize that this is a little different than the other first chapter from before. I rewrote it because I was unhappy with my story and thought it needed to be revised, so I did.


	2. Another New Start

Another New Start

Twenty-two long hours later, I stood in JFK international airport. Twenty-two hours later, I stood 10,000 miles from my old life. I tried to comprehend this as I drifted listlessly through the airport, before dozing off on the escalator and causing a mid-airport collision. By the time I got through customs with my luggage, I had nearly triggered an international meltdown with my unbridled clumsiness.

I was at a lost on what to do now. With my letter from my mother in hand, I tried to think of a way to get to the mythical camp she had written about. None of the people waiting showed any indication that they were from Camp Half-Blood. I scanned the nameplates the drivers in their uniforms and hats were holding, but found none bearing my name. I sat down on a bench placed near the automatic door, which let in a blast of cold air every time it let someone through. My cotton blazer offered little protection from the biting wind. All my winter clothes had been, stupidly, packed in my suitcase. I didn't stop to think that it would no longer be 40 degrees (Centigrade that is) everyday. It only came to mind just now as I desperately pulled the three-quarter length sleeves down over my wrists.

Just as my teeth had started chattering, another group of people shuffled through the doors. I envied them as they walked past in their woollen coats and fuzzy mittens. As the group walked past me, a man in a navy blue chauffer's uniform broke off from the chattering bunch and walked straight towards me. He approached the bench where I was sitting and produced a sky blue sign with gold embossed letters. It read Myra Bradley on the first line and under it Camp Half-Blood. Relieved, I smiled and got up to introduce myself. He replied with a curt nod and took my suitcase in hand, before handing me a letter. He kindly gestured for me to follow him towards the car park.

We arrived at, what I assumed, was our transportation to camp. It was a sky blue van, just like ones I had seen florist use, with gold script painted on the sides; it read Delphi Strawberry Service. The chauffer placed my suitcase behind the driver's seat and climbed into the driver's seat, I reluctantly followed his lead. Without a word, we exited the parking garage and into the bustling streets of Queens.

While driving, I carefully open the letter that the driver had handed me in the airport. It was written on thick parchment and smelled faintly of strawberries. I began to read it as we pulled into the morning rush hour.

_Dear Miss Bradley,_

_ I would like to extend a warm welcome to Camp Half-Blood. We are glad to have you aboard. My name is Chiron and I am the Head of Activities at camp. Everything has been arranged for you here. We have also arranged transportation for you. Meet Argus, he is our Head of Security at Camp. He will also be escorting you to Camp. And do not be offended if he does not say much, he is notoriously silent. We are all looking forward to meeting you._

_ Sincerely_

_ Chiron_

I folded the letter and placed it back into the envelope. Outside, the snow began to fall on the already snowy streets of Queens. I watched as the brownstone buildings gave way into the suburbs, and the suburbs became the tree-lined highway of Long Island. My head rested on the window and, before I knew it, I had dozed off and slept through most of the drive. By the time we arrived at camp, I had drooled all over my shoulder and lost feeling in my hand from holding my head upright.

Upon arrival, Argus woke me up and pointed to a snow-covered hill with a single pine tree standing at the crest. I rubbed my eyes and stifled a yawn, before opening the car door and braving the cold, wind, and snow. I marched up the hill as quickly as I could, dragging my suitcase behind me, regretting not buying the one with wheels. After finally getting to the top of the hill, saw the Camp that I would not call my home. In the valley I saw a semi-circle of strange buildings, a climbing wall, a pavilion, and a large farm style house painted blue.

Waiting for me at the top of the hill was a middle-aged man with brown curly hair, with a matching beard, sitting in a wheelchair. As I walked towards him, I noticed a change in the weather. There was a distinct lack of the biting wind that I had endured trekking up the hill; it was also warmer and the snow fell more gently. I looked back to see that, beyond the tree, a blizzard was ravaging the countryside. I continued to walk towards the man in the wheelchair, confused.

"Welcome, Miss Bradley, to Camp Half-Blood. I am Chiron, it is a please to meet you," he said as I approached and flung my suitcase down in the snow.

"Nice to meet you too, Chiron," I replied shaking his hand.

"Let us continue introductions inside, you seem cold," he smiled at me before heading in the direction of the farmhouse painted blue. I quickly grabbed my suitcase and followed him while he explained that the blue building was called the Big House and was where he lived and worked. I tired my hardest to listen intently and to not be distracted by the ladies running through the forest and disappearing into trees or by the climbing wall spewing lava or the half-goat people. When we approached the stairs to the porch of the Big House, I nearly ran into Chiron. He motioned for me to enter through the front door before assuring me he would join us soon. I silently wondered who us was as I pushed through the door.

The large living room was warm; I felt it as I pushed the door open. Not only was the large room warm and inviting, it smelled like burning wood thanks to the large fire burning in the hearth. The light from the fire danced across the walls and the furniture. There was a couple of worn couches and matching armchairs, all of which had been well used over the years. Sitting close to the fire, perched in front of a card table was a large man, with a red face and watery blue eyes. He was wearing a very loud leopard print tracksuit complete with purple running shoes. In one hand he held a can of diet coke and, in the other, a hand of cards.

I entered the room and stood awkwardly near the door as the man in the tracksuit lazily regarded me over his cards. Before the situation could become anymore uncomfortable, Chiron entered and invited me to take a seat on the empty chair at the card table.

"Miss Bradley, this is out Camp Director, Mr D. In a few moments we invite you to see our orientation-" Chiron started to say before being cut off by Mr D.

"Chiron, can we, at least, finish this hand before dealing with the Branson?" he interjected gesturing to the pinochle game laid out on the table.

"I guess the questions can wait. Miss Bradley, if you would please follow Alec, the satyr, to my office for the orientation video. We will just finish this hand," Chiron explained as a young man a few inches shorter than me appeared from a hallway. He had curly auburn hair with horns sticking out from either side. I looked down to see goat legs covered in fur the same colour as his hair. I nodded in consent and followed Alec out of the room, down a hallway, and into a small office where a television set circa 1980 was sitting on a stand.

The satyr put the video on, flipped off the lights, and left the room. The video was reminiscent of the public service announcements of the 1950s and obviously done on a small budget. Although the quality was not top notch, the information was helpful. It explained about the world of the gods and the lives of their children. Camp Half-Blood had a fascinating history. After fifteen minutes, the film had ended and I attempted to make my way back to the living room.

"So, what do you think Miss Bradley?" Chiron asked as I rounded the corner and joined the two men in the living room and resumed my seat at the card table.

"It certainly is interesting," I replied cautiously.

"How are you feeling about things? Most people have a hard time rationalizing the process," Chiron explained, eyeing me carefully.

"Honestly, it hasn't quite sunk in yet. Everything makes since, but I think I will new a while for everything to filter through."

"Understandable. But if you do not mind, we have a few questions for you."

"I do not mind."

"Well, we would really like to know more about you. Tell us about yourself, Miss Bradley," Chiron said cautiously.

"Well, from the beginning, my Dad said he met my Mom while he was in grad school at Dartmouth. He never really told me her name; I guess she was one of the Goddesses. But, he met her and then I showed up on the doorstep one day with just a letter for an explanation. My Dad managed to graduate and get a job with the United Nations, telling everybody that I was the daughter of a deceased relative in order to keep a clean reputation. That is when we started to move around a lot, after that we never stayed anywhere longer for more than six months. Well that was until we moved to Dublin, where we lived for three years.

"I was three at the time and everyday my Dad would work, I was sent to the day care that was attached to the embassy. That was where he met Elena, my future stepmother. They fell in love and got married when I was five. After that, we continued to move constantly. Then when I was ten, Elena had twins: Edmund and Cailen. Then we moved some more, for the next six years really. All the while, strange things would happen like being attacked by strange creatures or seeing strange things. I never gave it much thought. I never really had any close friends to tell me that it was not normal; I moved too much to ever get close to anybody.

"The last place we moved was Melbourne Australia in the spring—the fall for every one in the northern hemisphere. Same as any other move, I guess. Well, that was true until one day I had a close call with a Cyclopes that lived outside the city. After that my father decided it was just too dangerous for me in the outside world. It was then my dad really told me what happened with my mother. That was three days ago. And now I am here, where my mother told me to go."

"Thank you very much for sharing Miss Bradley. Do you have any questions for us?"

"Yeah, actually one has been on my mind all day. How did you know I would be coming? I didn't send an email or call or anything, so how did you know?"

"We have much more contact with the Gods than is usually expected. And, for certain children, they keep an eye on to make sure they do not cause too much trouble."

"But, why are they paying such close attention to me?" I asked curious. Just as I finished the question, a young girl about the age of thirteen walked into the room. She had blond hair, and striking grey eyes and was wearing a parka covered in snow that was melting in the warm room.

"Hey Chiron, I was walking from Greek to Archery and I saw someone come over the hill," she explained brushing the melted snow out of her hair.

"Hello Annabeth, you must have seen our new camper, Myra Bradley. She flew in from Australia this morning," Chiron explained as she shrugged off her coat and came to stand by him at the table.

"Hi, Myra. I'm Annabeth, head camper for the Athena cabin. Nice to meet you," she said kindly as I shook her hand.

"Annabeth, do you have some free time now?" Chiron asked her while gathering the cards into a stack.

"Yeah, I am free for the rest of the day. Why?"

"Could you please show Myra around camp? There are matters I need to attend to. Oh, and Myra, you will be staying in Cabin 11."

"Of course. Do you have something warmer than that?" she asked eying my blazer.

"Yeah, I do but I can brave the cold in this. I have survived the winters in St. Petersburg," I replied knowing my coat was at the bottom of my luggage and it did not want to waste time digging through everything.

Annabeth showed me around the entire camp from the Climbing Wall, which spewed lava, to the Pegasi stables. We saw everything from some campers having a massive snowball fight to the Naiads ice-skating on the frozen lake before diving into a crack in the ice. All the while Annabeth was explaining what everything was and what it did. The last stop was the cabins, a collection of the twelve strangest buildings I have ever seen. We walked around the horseshoe while Annabeth identified every building with the god it belongs to.

"Well, here is where you will be staying," Annabeth said with a weary smile as we stopped at Cabin Eleven, a rundown building painted brown although there were many where the paint had been chipped. "This is where all the unclaimed campers stay until they are claimed. But usually it takes a while; so don't get your hopes up too much. Everything is all ready for you, there should be a sleeping bag in there with your name on it."

"Thanks," I replied before dragging my suitcase up the stairs and knocking on the door.

Two guys opened the door. They were both tall and lanky with brown, curly hair hanging in their blue eyes. They both wore a smile that made me want to hide my valuables and lock away anything that could potentially explode. I could have sworn they were carbon copies of each other, accept one was taller.

"Welcome to Cabin Eleven," the taller one said sweeping his hand towards the cabin full of demigods. "I am Travis Stoll, and this is my brother, Conner. We are the co-counsellors of this cabin."

"Anything you need, just ask," the shorter one, Conner, said as I walked into the cabin, but before I could go far he threw his arm around my shoulder.

"Soda, contraband candy, fireworks, anything. We can get it for you," the taller one, Travis said, joining his brother in invading my personal space.

"I think I'm okay, but I'll keep it in mind," I replied shrugging out of their embrace.

"Suit yourself. There is a sleeping bag back there with your name on it. And I would probably grab a better jacket. Dinner is in ten minutes, and the dining pavilion is outside," Travis said pointing to a rolled up sleeping bag lying on the ground at the back of the cabin.

I walked back to my makeshift bed observing the other campers as I sat down and opened my suitcase. There were so many kids sitting around the cabin. All the beds were filled and there were about six other campers sleeping on the floor. Some looked content, while others wore a bitter expression on their faces. I though about what Annabeth had said about how it took a while for the gods to claim their children. I wondered how long some of them had been waiting.

I dug through the sweaters and trousers I had managed to stuff into my suitcase. From the depths I pulled a charcoal grey wool pea coat, a cream coloured cable knit sweater, and a emerald green scarf. After placing my blazer in the luggage, I prepared myself for the cold weather. I had just finished putting my coat when there was a conch signal in the distance.

I followed the rest of my cabin mates to the pavilion that Annabeth had shown me earlier. We took a seat at the Hermes table; Travis and Conner sat across from me and to my right was a Hispanic boy who I had not met yet. It was then when Chiron walked in and I nearly had a heart attack. They explained that he was really a centaur and compacted his horse half into his magical wheel chair. They also explained how the campers were supposed to burn offerings to the gods and that the cups would fill with any drink that I desired. After dinner, to finish off the night, we went to a campfire.

After the night's festivities, which I was told happen almost everyday, I nearly collapsed from exhaustion on my sleeping bag. Being too tired to change, I kicked off my flats, and took off my coat and scarf before falling asleep. But, the moment before I drifted into slumber, I couldn't help think that I was really starting to like it here.

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><p>AN: Well, hello there. I really hope you enjoyed chapter 2. I tired to fill in the plot holes that were left in the first chapter.

I do not claim ownership on any of Rick Riordan's work.

Until next time...


	3. For Your Eyes Only

For Your Eyes Only

I woke up the next morning ready to have a great day at Camp. From what some of the other campers had told me, there were tons of fun activities planned for today. The day started out normally: I walked to breakfast with the rest of Cabin 11. But while I was eating my favourite American cereal, the satyr who I met yesterday approached the table and told me that Chiron wished to speak with me after breakfast. Travis and Conner eyed my suspiciously.

"Wow, Myra, I am impressed. It took us a week before we got in enough trouble that we had to go to the Big House," Connor said amazed.

"I haven't done anything. I probably just forgot something there yesterday," I said after finishing off my cereal.

After drinking the rest of the milk from the bottom of my bowl and finishing my cup of tea, I got up from the table and looked nervously towards the sky-blue building. The co-counsellors wished me luck as I left the dining pavilion. I tired to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that seemed to insist that I was in trouble. I never tired to get into trouble, but it always seemed to find me. I could not imagine anything that would have happened in a span of less than 24 hours that could get me into trouble, but it continued to prey on my mind. Chiron was waiting for me on the porch as I arrived at the Big House. His expression was not angry nor was it reproachful, but I still climbed the steps with a sense of dread.

"Good morning, Miss Bradley. Sorry to cut your breakfast short, but there is some business that we need to discuss," Chiron said as I joined him on the veranda. He judged my mood before adding, "do not worry you are not in trouble." I let out a sigh of relief and followed him into the warm living room.

I took a seat next to Mr D, who was sleepily sipping Diet Coke and flipping through a wine catalogue, while Chiron poured cups of hot chocolate for each of us. He handed me the cup of steaming chocolate and wheeled around to sit opposite of me. I was secretly glad that Chiron had remained magically compacted in his wheelchair, because I don't think I was ready to handle Chiron as a centaur in person yet.

"How was your first night at Camp, Miss Bradley?" Chiron asked taking a drink from his mug of hot chocolate, before adding "and how are you feeling about all the information we gave you yesterday?"

"Everything has been great, honestly. Everyone has been extremely nice and helpful. I had lots of fun at the campfire last night. Food has been fantastic as well. All in all, it has been a positive experience," I said shifting the ceramic mug in my hand. No matter how much my cynical, over-analytical brain tired to come up with a reason to not like living here, but nothing I came up with made any sense. It was simply logical to like being here at Camp.

"That is fantastic, Miss Bradley. We are glad to hear that," Chiron said gesturing towards Mr D, who gave no response from behind his catalogue. "There are a few things that we did not have time to address yesterday."

"There's more?" I asked perplexed.

"Well, it is more of a recent occurrence. But, yes, there is more," Chiron said after he finished his hot chocolate. "This last summer, a young man named Luke fled from Camp in order to start an uprising against the Gods. He works in favour of Kronos. As I am sure you know from Greek mythology, Kronos was overthrown by Zeus, along with the other Gods, and cast into Tartarus. Now, in order to get revenge, Kronos used Luke's anger and bitterness in order to manipulate his allegiances. Luke is now building an army for the purpose of overthrowing the Gods and creating a new civilization."

"That is an interesting story. But how exactly does it fit in with everything?" I asked a bit puzzled. Most of the stories I had been told yesterday fit together to create a cohesive narrative, but this one did not seem to fit in.

"Remember yesterday what you asked why the gods had kept an eye on you? Well, they have chosen you for an important mission. According to one of our satyrs working undercover in New York, Luke has recently procured a cruise ship so he can build his army. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, would be to board this ship and relay intelligence back to Camp."

"So I would be a spy?"

Chiron's face broke into a weary smile. "Yes, Miss Bradley, you would be a spy," he admitted tryingly, "I just thought it would sound less dangerous by avoiding the word."

I tired to push a smile, while inside I was starting to freak out. My heart was racing and my hands became clammy. Ever since I had left my parents, unwanted emotions kept creeping into my life. Fear had become the number one on the list of these unwanted emotions. I gazed down into my hot chocolate, which was slowly turning cold, and tried to steady my breathing. I did not realize how long I had been staring down at the mug; I had been doing it so long, it elicited concerned questions from Chiron.

"What would being a spy entail?" I asked before bringing the cup of not-so-hot chocolate to my lips. I was hoping that the drink would help calm my nerves while Chiron explained the duties of a spy.

"Well, it is pretty straight forward. In a few days, Argus will drive you into the city and you will find a way to get on the ship. Then you will participate in the goings on and report back to us with your findings."

"I guess that was kind of a stupid question. What I really meant to ask was, how would I contact Camp?" I asked blushing slightly. I have always hated looking stupid, especially when it came in the form of asking a question. I tried to laugh it off as the heat, that had burned my ears seconds before, subsided.

"That was not a stupid question, Myra. And you will contact us here via Iris message," Chiron explained as he pulled a leather pouch from a satchel attached to the side of his wheelchair. "Iris messages are a godly form of communication via the rainbow goddess, Iris. To connect via Iris Message, you will need mist and a rainbow. But, some steam and a prism will suffice. Then take a golden Drachma and, after throwing it into the rainbow, say 'Oh, Iris, accept my offering', the person you are trying to contact, and their location," he said placing the leather pouch on the table and pushing it towards me.

I took the pouch and opened it. Inside there were about a hundred golden coins and a triangular prism. I pulled I out of the bag and held it in the sunlight, where it caught the light and sent a rainbow dancing over the wooden floor. "Are you sure this will work?" I asked incredulously.

"Don't worry, I have been friends with Iris for centuries. I will talk to her to assure it will work. Now, I'm not saying your mission will not be dangerous, but we have gone to all expenses to assure that it will be as safe as possible."

"Thanks," I said, trying to keep the trembling out of my voice, replacing the prism in the pouch. "So when exactly will I be leaving?"

"Well since we do not know how long the ship will be docked in the city, we thought it best that you should leave as soon as possible. You will leave two days from now."

"Okay," I muttered making a real effort not to sound disappointed. Subconsciously the logical voice that was ever present in my mind was nagging me to not get too attached to Camp. It was sound reasoning, I could never grown too fond of any place I lived because I didn't know when I was leaving. Despite this voice I had taken an ill-advised liking to living here.

"Are you sure you are okay with this?" Chiron asked concerned. I reassured him before shoving the leather pouch in my pocket. "Well in that case, you are dismissed. But, please, if you have _any_ concerns, come and speak to me. This is not a quest, thus you are not obligated to do anything."

"Thanks, but I think I will be fine," I said looking for an out. It was completely irrational, but the fact that I was leaving was weighing heavily. And to be even more irrational, I really just wanted to curl up in my sleeping bag on the floor in Cabin 11.

"Then that is all, Miss Bradley. I think the rest of your cabin is at the climbing wall if you care do join them. Have a good day Myra," Chiron said with a reassuring smile.

I pulled on my coat before walking over to the door. As I pulled the door open two boys stumbled into the Big House. The boys, who I recognized as Conner and Travis, immediately started to make excuses. I walked out onto the porch with them and closed the door behind me.

"We are glad you made it out alive, Myra. We though Chiron ate you alive or something-" Conner started stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Or Mr D turned you into a dolphin. He's threated to do that to us a couple of times," Travis said completing the thought.

"No I am fine, Chiron just forgot to tell me some things yesterday. Everything is just fine," I stated comforting myself more than reassuring my cabin's counsellors.

I followed them to the climbing wall where the other campers were trying to climb the wall while lava was spewing out of the top simultaneously. While I was waiting my turn at an attempt at the wall, Connor and Travis—unconvinced by my cover story—kept harassing me about the meeting with Chiron. But the longer I stuck with my story, the more they were unimpressed with the tale. They continued to plague me with questions through arts & crafts and lunch.

After lunch, I managed to get away from them and escape back to the cabin and took some time for myself. From my suitcase I pulled out the teddy bear my dad had bought me when we lived in Germany when I was four. The bear, Peter, was the one thing that had been with me around the world. And now it would be with me for another adventure. Packed under Peter was a framed picture that my dad gave me before I left home. It was a photo of the whole family: my dad, my step-mom, the twins, and me on the London Eye. And lying on top of the rest of my clothes was the Camp Half-Blood t-shirt Chiron had given me yesterday. Unlike the other camper's shirts, my shirt was still bright and the letters were not faded to grey. It was a token of my new family just as the others were tokens of the old. I made sure to tuck it into the bottom of my suitcase so I would not forget it.

* * *

><p>AN:Hello, here is chapter 3. I do not really have anything to say accept I hope you enjoy.

Until next time...


	4. Are You My Mother?

Are You My Mother?

That night, I lay awake in my sleeping bag on the floor of Cabin 11. Everyone else had been asleep for a while now; in the dim glow of the glow-in-the-dark hands of my watch I could see that it was now half-passed four. Through the windows lining each side of the walls, I could see the sky lighting from an inky black to a dark navy colour tinged with the pink of snow-clouds. I had always loved this time of day. I like to believe that I was the only person who was awake and the sense of solitude comforted me.

This privacy was especially welcome as I pondered the duties that had been bestowed upon me by the gods. The more I thought about it, the more confident I was feeling about it. I mean, it seemed like a good idea and all the details had been well thought out. It was quite senseless to be scared, really. If I didn't let silly emotions, such as fear, cloud my judgement then the mission could be successful. And on top of everything, the goddess of military strategy had been a major contributor in the planning. How bad could it be? They wouldn't send a sixteen-year-old girl into no man's land unprepared, would they?

As I lay awake, I imagined what it would be like to live on a cruise ship. I had never been on one before; my father had always refused to take us on a cruise insisting that we fly or take a train instead. His insistence had only made me more curious. I remember once begging my stepmother, Elena, to take us on a cruise, but she only said that my father would not enjoy it and promised to take me to Disneyland instead. I never bothered to ask why my father was so against cruises. It was just one of those things you have to accept the way they are. But now that I am free of my father's disapproval of ships, I was intrigued by the life at sea.

Although I was feeling better about the prospects of my mission, I could not help but feel a twinge of remorse about leaving Camp. It seems quite silly really, but this was one of the few places I fit in. At school, I was always the quiet and nerdy girl who kept to herself; I never made any real friends. I told myself that the other kids didn't like me because I was an obnoxious know-it-all, or that I was too nerdy, and to a certain degree this was true. But I probably used this excuse to mask the deeper sentiment: that I didn't want to have to leave and say goodbye. Keeping an emotional distance made it easier to leave.

However, here it is different, there is a certain magnetism with the other campers. They all seem to be so welcoming and friendly. I assume it is because we all share a similar familial history and similar experiences, but it feels so much stronger than that. I was, nevertheless, sad to have to say goodbye. As I though of this, my eyes wandered around the cabin to the sleeping campers, to whom I would soon be departing, yet again.

Around seven, the alarm clocks sounded rousing the rest of the cabin. I crawled out of the sleeping bag and got ready along with the rest of my cabin-mates. And after getting dressed in jeans, an extra Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, and a grey cardigan, I followed them down to the dining pavilion for breakfast.

"What's on the schedule for today, Travis?" I asked the head-counsellor as he sat across the table from me about to dig in to a large bowl of chocolate cereal.

"I think we have Greek lessons and archery before lunch," he said between bites of cereal, "and sword practice after lunch. Then I took the liberty to clear the rest of the day for free time. We're having a pick-up game of soccer on the beach later against the Apollo Cabin, if you want to join. You're a Kiwi, right? Aren't they good at soccer or something?"

"No, I was born in New Hampshire; and the last place I lived was Australia, not New Zealand. But I do love football, or soccer, and would love to play," I replied before digging into my plate full of waffles.

"Really? You don't sound like you are from New Hampshire. Maybe like Middle Earth or something, but not New England," Connor said after finishing the milk from the bottom of his cereal bowl leaving a drip of milk running down the side of his face.

"Well, my step-mother is from Limerik, which is in Ireland, and pretty much my entire schooling career involved teachers from the UK or the Commonwealth. So it would make sense that I do speak differently. And interestingly enough, saying I have a 'Middle Earth' accent would not be all that incorrect. According to Tolkien, Middle Earth was a fictional part of Earth's history. The latitude of Hobbiton is the same as the latitude of Oxford, England. As a toddler, I had a nanny from Oxford. Because she was there during the crucial time of speech development, I would, in fact, have a Middle Earth accent," I concluded triumphantly. The rest of the table had gone quiet and most of the kids sitting at the table were looking at me.

"Fascinating," Conner said wiping the milk from his face with his sweatshirt sleeve. I looked down at my waffles fighting the urge to blush; I was never very fond of the spotlight. Also, I was not sure if he was being sarcastic or not. "I never understand where people learn these things!"

"You learn them from watching the extended content on the DVDs, stupid" Travis told his brother before smacking him in the head.

I quietly finished eating breakfast while the two fought with each other across the table. Once the plate was empty, the rest of the campers had started to get up and walk off towards the Big House where an older camper taught Ancient Greek. The ancient language came surprisingly easily; especially considering language was not my strong suit. Even after living in German speaking countries (Germany, Switzerland, and Austria) for a total of four years the extent of my language skills was 'ich spreche nicht Deutsch' and counting to ten. However Ancient Greek was a breeze, it all seemed to fit together nicely and the letters actually made sense.

After Ancient Greek lessons, we went to the archery range where Chiron was waiting to give us instructions. After retrieving the equipment, we prepared to shot at the targets. It was just about my turn to shoot when one of the younger campers became nervous and shot in the wrong direction, towards a group of Aphrodite campers gossiping and painting their nails. After calming the screaming girls, Chiron told everyone to go ahead and go to lunch. The rest of the day was quite eventful: while the rest of my cabin mates were practicing sword fighting, a guys from the Hephaestus named Jake Mason cabin showed me the armoury and while we were trying to find a good weapon, there was a minor explosion in the forge. Jake had to run back to the forge to check on his siblings leaving me in the armoury alone.

Then that afternoon I played football/soccer with the rest of my cabin mates against the Apollo Cabin, a game that we won. To sounds cliché, it was probably the most fun I had in a long time. It reminded me of being back with my family, when I would play with my brothers or watch a match with my father. Afterwards, we headed back to the pavilion for dinner and then on to the sing along at the campfire.

There was a jovial mood at the campfire that night, causing the fire to burn a bright red-orange while all the campers sung loudly and out of tune. The activity ended after a rousing round of Apollo Went Yodelling and the campers started to make their way back to their respective cabins. I was en route to Cabin 11 explaining more about the realm of Middle Earth to Conner, when suddenly everyone stopped and looked at me. Above my head was an emblem of an owl glittering silver in mid-air. The campers in the immediate area looked astounded and I even caught a few resentful gazes from some of the campers I knew from the Hermes Cabin. As the owl faded, Chiron cleared the gathered crowd as Annabeth came to welcome me to her cabin.

"You should collect your belongings and report to Cabin 6," Chiron said approaching us once the campers were dispersing. After a brief chat with the two, I headed back to my former cabin to gather my belongings. There I was met with 'congratulations' and high-fives from my cabin mates, along with bitter stares from a few. I gathered up my belongings quickly and headed to the door where I was met by Travis and Conner.

"We are sorry to see you go, Myra," Travis stated in a very melodramatic manner.

"Yeah, I have a feeling breakfast will be much less informative without you," Conner said in the same tone fit for a soap opera.

"And I don't think we stand a chance winning another soccer game against the Apollo cabin with out you," Travis chimed in with a sincere tone.

I murmured a quick 'thanks guys' before departing towards the Athena Cabin across the way from Cabin 11. In my new cabin I was greeted by Annabeth, who showed me to an empty bunk and introduced me to my brothers and sisters. After introductions and it was time for lights, I settled into my bunk for the night knowing that in a few hours I would be leaving Camp in order to embark on my mission.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, it's kind of been a while. Sorry about that, but school is just ****crazy. Good news though: summer is quickly approaching which means more time to focus on writing! Yay! My goal is to have this story completed by the start of September, but other than that I'll just play it by ear.**

**Hope you enjoyed.**


	5. A VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR

**THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

**Dear Readers**

**Hello, I know I have not been consistent in updating this story. For this I am very sorry. Furthermore, I hope to have this story completed by May. Then start work on the next book in this series. So, ****hopefully that will happen.**

**If you are a returning reader, I am sure you have noticed that there is a lot missing (as is most of the chapter). That is because I have started on the process of rewriting the entire story. While I have neglected to update for upwards of six months, I promise you that I have not neglected this story. I have spent the last six months tweaking the story and reworking the characters so the entire story has a better flow and is not just a series of random events.  
><strong>

**While I am working to get everything written, I have left the chapters that I am happy with in the story. So, if this is your first time here with us, then the following chapters will make absolutely no sense. Read at your own risk.**

**Thank you all so much for being patient. **

**Amelia**


	6. Close Encounters

**A/N: So, I guess it's kind of been a while; like three months. Please do forgive me, I have been very busy. But I only have 10 more days of school, so I will soon have lots of time to spend all my days frolicking in my imagination.**

**This chapter is set, like, the same day as the last section of the previous chapter. And to serve as a warning, there is a LOT of dialogue in this chapter. And in the countdown there is only going to be two more chapters and an epilogue.**

**Thanks time! I would like to thank UNKNOWNpunker for favoriting this story! And to everyone who has read and reviewed: THANK YOU SO MUCH! With out further ado, on to chapter 18!**

Close Encounters

"I love you?" Demitri asked bluntly. His face was a paradoxical mixture of amusement and questioning. "You have lost it, Myra."

"Yes, I guess I have," I replied sheepishly. Demitri had really become like an older brother to me and with that came the protectiveness of an older sibling. I understand, when we were not fighting, I would get really protective about my younger brothers.

The sun was setting on the Long Island Sound. The golden sunlight hung in the early summer air. There was a slight breeze running across the water and tugging at my sweater. I rested my elbows on the ship's railing and watched the sun sink behind the tree-lined shore. Demitri leaned against the railing facing away from the sun, which cast dramatic shadows across his face. His hair was getting long and started to hang in his eyes.

"Have you lost sight of our mission? Have you told anyone that we are in New York? Anything?" Demitri pressed. He had become my confidant, I told him everything. He was completely invested in helping me, which gave me reason to trust him.

"No," I relented, "but I think I might have meant what I said."

"You mean the whole love thing?"

"Yeah. And you know what really sucks; the gods contrived his love so the mission could be a success. I feel like someone has shaken my brain, I am so confused about how I feel. But, I do think I really love him."

"You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, and a sigh is just a sigh. The sentimental things apply as time goes by."

"When did you become a poet, D?"

"I think I heard it in a movie. Now, lets get back to the matter at hand, the mission. Where de we go from here? How do we cure you of this love sickness?"

"On top of Luke's love being a mind trick and all, there has been like ten other girls before me. In reality, I'm just another one of those passing girls. I knew this whole making friends thing was overrated."

"Everything will turn out alright, Myra. I'm you friend, this has worked out wonderfully. Right"

"I just remember hearing him say those three words and it felt like my heart fell to the floor. I was elated to hear those words, but, at the same time, I knew they were forced. I felt as equally crushed."

"I have just the thing to make you feel better. Wait here, I will be right back."

Demitri walked back inside and disappeared around a corner. I looked for the answers to my complex questions in the glittering ocean. I could have stayed in Melbourne with my parents and lived out a relatively normal life, well normal for a demigod.

I could still remember that fateful day in February when my Dad told me. I walked home from school and threw my backpack down at the door. It was a hot summer day in Melbourne. My dad called me into the kitchen where he was sitting wearing his 'diplomatic' smile. I hated when he used that smile on me, it always meant something had happened or we were moving again. I sat across from him at the table. Elena was in the process of making homemade ice cream, and the boys were sprawled out on the living room floor, sleeping after a long day of play.

"How was your day, Myra?" my father asked genuinely.

"It was fine," I shrugged. I loved school, especially history class. But I never got along well with other students. They ostracized me for being a loner and shy, along with being a complete and total nerd. There were a few people I had managed to get along with; but I pushed away for fear of saying goodbye. I did that everywhere I went and never had any real friends. That was until I came to Camp Half-Blood, then to the Princess Andromeda, when I met people with whom I could relate, and hopefully wouldn't have to say goodbye.

My dad shot me a concerned look. "I thought you loved school, sweetie?"

"I do, it's just the people I don't love," I confessed, "but its fine, Dad; I will manage."

"Well you don't have to worry about the kids at school anymore," my dad said with a solemn expression. This was not the usual 'were moving again' manner, it was sadder and more forlorn; I had never seen my dad like this before.

"Where are we moving this time?" I asked trying to sound indifferent.

"Um, were not exactly moving, Myra, you are."

"What does that mean, Dad? Where am I going?" I started to panic. Images of boarding schools where you had to deal with the other students 24/7, being shipped off to live with my aunt, whose house is practically a museum where you feel guilty touching anything, or worst of all, my grandmother's. I always felt like she disapproved of me and it took me years to understand why. She denounced her son for having a child while he was unmarried, thus I got the blame.

"I know it will not explain much, but you should read it. It is from your mother," my dad said giving me a thick parchment envelope. It was old and worn around the edges and it smelled like olives.

I opened the envelope to find a letter written in elegant but analytical cursive. It read:

_Dear Arthur,_

_I understand this is quite a shock, but this is your daughter. As much as I would love to keep her, my family deeply disapproves. Thus I place her in your hands. She will be a wise and perceptive girl, who will earn her place among the stars. Just as she has exceptional intelligence, she has an exceptional sense for trouble. Do not distress, for there is a place where she can thrive. There is a camp for children like her located on Long Island. There she will be able to thrive. I hate to end on things on this note, but it would be for the best if we never saw each other again. I am sorry._

_Warm Regards,_

_Athena_

I sat at out kitchen table in Australia but I felt like I was standing on Jupiter. I felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on my shoulders. My father had always refused to talk about my mother and knowing about her changed the way I perceived the mother I conjured up in my mind. It was a strange combination of solace and disenchantment. I returned to the kitchen in Melbourne.

"So, this means that I am going to Long Island?" I asked my dad carefully returning the letter into the envelope.

"On Friday," he replied producing a ticket sleeve with my tickets to New York City's JFK airport, "Elena has started packing your things."

I took the ticket sleeve and shouldered my backpack before walking to my room. On my bed I found my trusty suitcase where Elena had started to pack clothes. I went to my closet and grabbed all my other clothes and stuffed them into the small opening. Then I sat on my bed and cried for a while. Two days later, I said goodbye to my parents and the boys before departing for New York City.

I was back looking out over the darkening water. Demitri rounded the corner carrying a jar in one hand and two spoons in the other. He walked back outside and stood next to me and offered me a spoon. We sat down on the deck and he showed me the jar, Nutella.

"It used to make me feel better when I was feeling blue," he said handing me a spoon. I gratefully scooped up a spoonful of chocolate-hazelnut spread and shoved it in my mouth.

"Thanks, D!" I replied going back for another spoonful.

We sat talking on the deck until it got completely dark. Long Island slid by as the ship pushed forward. The rocky beaches gave way to forest, in which I could have sworn I saw a giant scorpion through the trees. I got up to get a closer look at the forest, which slowly turned into another beach. Further inland, I could have sworn I saw a climbing wall spewing lava and an open-air pavilion. Off the shore, trailing through the water, three whitish blobs were heading towards the ship.

"Hey Demitri, what does that look like to you?" I asked pointing to the floating blobs.

"They kind of look like people riding seahorses," he said squinting at the inky water.

"Oh gods, they must be from camp," I said pointing towards the shore.

"Wait, is this a new contact? This is fantastic," he said standing up and walking over to the railing.

"I don't think that they are here for us, D."

"But they are from camp, right?"

"Yeah. But I have a feeling it is in out best interest to not be seen. Actually, can you go get me a stewardess' outfit and your set of universal keys?"

"Sure, meet you in the promenade in ten minutes."

Demitri went back inside while I stayed on the deck to observe the kids from camp as they approached the ship. The blobs moved slowly as if they were swimming towards the ship. I watched as they got closer and closer to the hull. As they got close, I joined Demitri in the promenade. He held the set of universal keys in his hand and a stewardess's uniform lay over his arm, he himself was also wearing a purser uniform.

"Why are we wearing these?" Demitri asked after I had changed into the stewardess uniform. The uniform looked like a flight attendant circa 1940, ascot and all.

"Because we have some evicting to do. Now, would be putting them on the ninth floor too close to anything important?" I replied shuffling through the skeleton keys.

"That should be fine," Demitri said taking the keys from my hands, "it's the one with the blue cap."

"What was that?" I asked when I saw something out of the corner of my eye along the large windows lining the promenade.

"It was nothing, Myra. But we should hurry, it's getting late," he said shoving his normal clothes under his arm with the correct key in hand.

We walked through the corridors on the ninth floor, where Demitri remembered there was one vacant room. We wandered down the halls knocking on the doors trying to find the empty room. The occupants of the rooms would open their doors with a misty, far-away look and a smile; we would state we were doing a room check in the same distant look then closed the door. After at least a half hour of searching, Demitri found the empty room and opened it with the universal key. We assumed that they would need two rooms; it was my job to evict the neighboring room.

As Demitri was inspecting the empty room, I knocked on the door adjacent to the vacant room. A man and his wife wearing thick, fluffy bathrobes stood at the door staring at the wall behind me. I did my best to look as if I, too, were under the spell of the Mist.

"Excuse me, sir. You and your wife have been selected for a room upgrade. If you would please gather your belongings, the Purser will show you to your new deluxe cabin," I informed the entranced passengers in my best flight attendant vocalization.

"Why, of course, Miss," they replied in unison in a distant voice resonating with a faint Brooklyn accent.

They retreated inside their cabin and took off their robes, revealing that they had never changed clothes at all. Nor had they unpacked their bags; the suitcases were sitting next to the door like they had just arrived. True, they practically had just arrived, but I would have unpacked and made myself comfortable by now. They gathered all their belongings and exited their cabin. They followed Demitri as he mechanically walked down the hall towards the elevator.

Once they were out of sight, I entered their cabin and took a look around. It was almost like no one had every occupied the cabin. This cabin was a lot like mine, but smaller. The walls were the same soft sea green color that matched the comforter duvet. I got to work inspecting the cabin and fixing the few things that the previous occupants had moved. I placed the chocolate basket back on the table and placed the chilled bottle of sparkling-cider on the nightstand. To add a finishing touch I put some mints from the gift basket on the pillows and wrote a note saying '_Enjoy Your Cruise_'. Before leaving the room I flipped the safety lock so the people from camp could get in the door. I found Demitri in the hallway just as he returned from bringing the couple to their new cabin.

"We better get out of here, I think I saw someone coming," Demitri said as he unlocked the other door and make sure it stayed that way. We were just about to leave when we heard footsteps coming down the corridor. "Around the corner," Demitri mouthed pointing to the hallway stemming from the one we were standing in.

We got around the corner just as the kids from came arrived at the doors. They entered the cabins and we waited until the coast was clear. A few minutes past and we heard voiced in the hall.

"I'll be next door," a girl said, "you guys don't drink or eat anything." I recognized her voice from camp. It was Annabeth, the girl that showed me around camp the day I arrived. My heart dropped, even through we were on the same side I could not escape the feeling that I was betraying her, especially since we were sisters.

"You think this place in enchanted?" a boy asked Annabeth. I didn't recognize his voice and assumed I hadn't met him.

"I don't know. Something isn't right. Just … be careful," Annabeth told the guy before reentering their room and locking their deadbolts. Just to be safe, we waited a few more minutes before sneaking past the door.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry," I whispered as we ran past the room pushing Demitri in front of me.

We ran to the elevators just to be safe. I looked at my watch and it was after midnight. Demitri suggested we reconvene in the morning when we were less exhausted. I agreed and we walked back to our respective cabins. I closed the door behind me as I walked into my cabin. I took a shower and changed into my pajamas before plopping down on the bed and turning on the television. As I was flipping through the channels, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. Before I knew it, I had drifted to sleep.

I dreamt of being chased by monsters and the other complications of being a demigod. In the middle of being chased through the woods by a Hydra, when I was suddenly woken up by someone pounding on my cabin door. The pounding was accompanied by a voice quietly yelling my name. I threw off the covers and quickly walked to the door. Outside, Demitri stood at the door pulling at the hem of his t-shirt.

"Myra, they are coming," Demitri said pushing into my cabin.

"Who is coming? What is going on?" I asked as he closed the door behind him.

"The guys from camp. They are coming down the hall towards Luke's cabin," he replied looking out into the hall through the peephole. I pushed him aside to see the action in the hall. Demitri tried to regain his vantage point and pushed me out of the way.

"Get your own door!" I remarked as I pushed him from the door again, "this is my cabin."

In the hall three kids had stopped in front of the door. One was Annabeth, I recognized her from camp. There were also two guys with her: one with black hair and sea green eyes, the other was gigantic with one eye in the middle of his forehead. The three were having a conversation muted by the thick door. I turned to Demitri and gave him the universal signal to stay quiet. I tired to listen to the exchange but was unable to decipher the words. I turned my attention back to the peephole. I tried to lip read but was never any good at it. Demitri joined me at the door trying to listen through the door but was unsuccessful as I was.

Suddenly there was something that we could both hear: "run". Before the three could flee, they were stopped by the bear twins pointing their javelins point blank at their chest. Luke soon joined them in the hall and they cautiously followed him back into the admiralty suite. Soon thereafter, I heard the large oak door swing shut.

"We have to know what is going on inside that cabin," Demitri said facing me with a fierce determination in his eyes.

"We won't be able to hear anything," I replied a little exasperated. I didn't know how to help them, but I knew I must. I hated not knowing what to do.

"I have an idea," Demitri mused grabbing a crystal tumbler left over from dinner on the coffee table. "I saw this in a movie one. You hold up the cup to the door or wall and hear what is being said on the other side."

"I have one too," I exclaimed as the idea all but hit me over the head, "use your stethoscope!"

We walked into the empty hallway; I crept up to the large doors while Demitri went across the hall to his cabin to get his medical bag. I pressed the mouth of the glass to the door and my ear to the opposite end. Much to my surprise, it worked and I was able to hear the conversation on the opposite side of the door. Demitri joined me and tentatively pressed the disk of his stethoscope to the door. He gave me 'thumbs up' and we sat on the soft carpet in the corridor listening to the happenings in Luke's cabin.

I listened to the volatile conversation as it went from calm and collected to insulting, even to the point where I am sure something was smashed. I felt so bad sitting outside the door while people who are on my side are in jeopardy. I could not flight the feeling that I was betraying them by just sitting and listening. I was quickly snapped out of that when Demitri grabbed my arm and dragged me to his cabin as two security guards with a mystified look and nightsticks came stalking down the hall. He closed the door and took up watch out of the peephole.

I stood by the door as Demitri detailed the action in the hall. I felt the pressure being lifted when he told me that they had escaped from the bear guy and the guards. There was commotion out on the deck and I silently prayed to the gods that they had made it off the ship. Once the furor was over, Demitri went to check on things. I sat on the floor by the door and rested my head on my knees.

"Looks like they made it," Demitri said upon entering his cabin. I gave a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall. My face must have given away my feelings because Demitri started asking concerned question. "What's wrong, Myra?"

"You heard the way he spoke to Annabeth, this only solidifies my suspicions. He is completely in love with her," I replied taking sudden interest in the floor.

"Come on now, Myra. What happened to 'my head holds president over my heart'?" Demitri inquired encouragingly.

"Plato was right in saying 'love is a serious disease,'" I countered with a trace of a smile.

**A/N: I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and again I am so terribly sorry for being so tardy on uploading. Stay tuned for the finally of this story coming to a computer near you!**


	7. No Party Like a Pony Party

**A/N: Hello and welcome to chapter nineteen. So, this story is coming to an end. Only one more chapter to go. Not much else to say.**

**I would like to thank BriCastellan and Starrymists for favoriting this story. I would also like Beaufale for adding this story to your Story Alerts. And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! And a huge thank you to freefunny for adding me to favorite author and author alert, it is a huge honor.**

**I really hope you enjoy the penultimate chapter.**

No Party Like a Pony Party

It was a stifling afternoon in Miami, the heat and humidity were suffocating and after being outside for five minutes I thought I was going to die. As a result of this sticky afternoon Demitri and I sought solace in my cabin. I was sitting in the armchair under the air conditioning vent reading the New York Times; Demitri was passed out on the couch. I scanned the pages of the newspaper looking for something I had not yet read. It was official I was irreconcilably bored.

Then something happened that snapped me out of boredom. A swath of rainbow appeared above the coffee table. I crumpled up the sports section and threw it at Demitri trying to wake him up. It took a few attempts and about half my paper, but I woke him up in time to see a middle-aged man with curly brown hair and a matching beard.

"Chiron?" I asked the man standing in the rainbow.

"Hello, Myra. I'm glad I got in touch with you. And who is this?" Chiron asked skeptically, eying Demitri, who was trying to wake up.

"Oh, right. This is Demitri. He's my new ally and confidant. Don't worry, I'm, like, ninety-nine percent sure I can trust him," I informed the old centaur.

"Nice to meet you, Demitri," Chiron said cautiously. In reply Demitri groggily raised his hand and dismissively waved at the rainbow before shoving a throw pillow on his face and trying to go back to sleep.

"So, what is going on? Last time we talked you said that you were fired from Camp Half-Blood and that you had to leave," I asked once I had completely awakened Demitri.

"Well, yes, I was fired. I took the wrap for the tree because there was no evidence otherwise," Chiron explained; he was about to continue, but I cut him off.

"But I thought I told you that Luke was the one who had done it."

"You did, but you said it was someone who was working for Luke inside the camp. Since we couldn't disclose the name, the evidence was not concrete enough to blame one of my campers, so I took the blame."

"Oh," I squeaked, my throat felt tight. It was basically my fault Chiron had to leave his job.

"I left a few weeks ago and now I am staying with my relatives in the Everglades. They call themselves the 'Party Ponies' and act completely feral, with all the drinking and parting. Regardless, the other day one of my cousins saw your ship pass and dock in Miami. So, I decided I would try to contact you."

"That's good because someone has been bugging me to get in contact someone since we got back in the country," I said playfully punching Demitri in the shoulder.

"You have updates then?"

"Well, a few weeks ago we came back into the country making our way back to New York. Then we docked in the city and a bunch of mortals were boarded onto the ship. We stayed there a few days then headed south. And as we passed Long Island we picked up a few stowaways from camp."

"I think I know who would pull such a stunt," Chiron smirked.

"Annabeth, a guy with black hair, and a Cyclopes," I informed him.

"Yes, Percy and Annabeth. Why am I not surprised? Did they happen to make it out alright?"

"Yeah, they escaped on a lifeboat before anyone could get hurt," Demitri said, speaking for the first time.

"Good, it seems as if they have made a habit of trouble," Chiron laughed nostalgically. Behind him we could see lots of centaurs entering the room whooping and hollering, wielding paintball guns and other assorted weapons. "It seems as if my relatives have come to debauch. I should go."

"Okay, Chiron. I'll be sure to be in touch if anything else comes up," I said before waving though my hand through the fading rainbow.

"It looks like all my nagging paid off," Demitri said with a smug grim.

"Don't get arrogant. Your head is already swollen enough," I said punching him in the shoulder.

"You are so very funny, Myra," he retorted sarcastically and rolling his eyes.

"Look who's grumpy. Come on, let's go and get lunch," I suggested getting up and walking towards the door.

"No, you should go and have lunch with your lover. He's said that you have been kind of distant lately. Besides I have to go and finish my nap where there is no prospect of _someone_ waking me up again," Demitri replied before exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

I started to work on the mess that I had made of my cabin, including the wadded up newspaper. I had books thrown all over the room as well as newspapers. There were also shoes and sweaters in random places. I cleaned up the sitting room and moved onto the bedroom. I picked up the clothes from the floor and put them in the hamper. I finished picking up my cabin by making the bed. It felt better when everything was clean. I had just finished when I heard a knock at the door.

I walked to the door and opened it to see Luke standing in the door with his usual brooding expression. He smiled at me when he looked up, and, I cannot lie, that smile sent tingles up my spine. He took my hand and gave me a kiss before adding, "let's do lunch". I obliged and walked with him to his cabin. He held the door open door me and followed me inside. I took a seat on the couch, while Luke poured us a drink before joining me.

"Hello, love. I feel like we have not talked in ages," Luke said taking my hand and giving me the same smile he gave me earlier. It is hard to resist a smile like that, full of so much love and warmth. Even though that smile made me week-kneed, I could not quiet that ever-logical voice in the back of my mind screaming at me to abandon this affair. Fearing this voice was right, I tired to casually pull my hand away. It did not escape Luke's attention.

"You know, you have been so busy since we got to New York. Then the incident happened. You just simply don't have time for me," I said coolly, letting the voice of rationality take rightful possession of my brain. She did not regain control before mentally slapping me for 'acting like Charlotte and her silly sisters'.

"Don't say things like that, darling. I will always make time for you. What is bothering you, love?" he asked, concern glinting in his clear blue eyes. I could hear the voice being drowned out, again.

"It's nothing, I swear. You have so much on your plate, don't throw away your rigid schedule for me," I cooed cupping his face in my hand. I ran my thumb along the scar running down his face, wondering how this boy, who has been nothing but sweet, could harbor so much anger and bitterness. I assume it is the mellowing effects of Cupid's gold tipped arrow.

"Well, I guess I can pencil you in, but don't get your hopes up," he said cracking a smile, breaking the heavy atmosphere lingering around our conversation. The mood in the room seemed to shift to a playful one. On that light note he added: "are you hungry?" The table was laid out with an intricate Mediterranean meal.

We spent hours picking through the ornate courses. To tell the truth we spent much more time talking and laughing than eating, while mystified waiters silently ushered us through the courses. I don't think I have laughed that hard in months. It was a nice break from the heavy liaisons that we have been having the past few weeks.

We were having so much fun, that our lunch lasted to sunset with out realizing it. As the sun hung halfway between day and night, the sea danced red, orange, and gold, tinting the collection of art deco buildings lining the beach with the colors of the sunset. Luke and I stood at the window taking in the view of the shore and the water, still giggling from lunch.

The mood suddenly changed when Luke spotted something sitting on the beach. I took a closer look and had a horrible feeling about who was standing on the shore. Luke started racing around the cabin barking orders into the intercom system while I tried my hardest to stall him. Nothing was working and I started to panic when Agrius and Oreius showed up at the door wielding nasty weapons, Demitri trailing behind them. He commanded the bear twins to follow him and Demitri to alert the troops and have them assemble by the pool. Before he could march into battle, Luke whispered something to Demitri before storming out of the room.

"Okay, Luke told me to keep you out of trouble. He doesn't want you to get hurt. So just go to your cabin and complain about it later. I have to carry out orders so there is no suspicion," Demitri said quietly as we rushed down the hall.

"Actually, I have a plan. I'll have Chiron bring his relatives as reinforcements. Once you get everyone in formation, slip out and meet me in the hall," I whispered in the silent hallway. He nodded in agreement before continuing down the hall. I went in the opposite direction and closed my cabin door behind me, making sure I locked it.

I went into the bathroom and turned on the shower to steam up the bathroom. The prism caught the fleeting light and contorted it into a rainbow. I threw in a drachma and said a prayer to Iris. Chiron appeared in front of me. I hastily explained the situation and waited apprehensive for his response.

"We will be there soon, Myra. And I suggest keeping your distance; I do not think that they would be able to distinguish you from the enemy," Chiron said gravely.

"Thank you so much, Chiron. Good luck," I replied comforted by the thought of reinforcements. I waved my hand through the image as it faded.

I grabbed the bow and arrow and dagger I kept stashed in the closet before departing towards the pool where the army had collected. With everyone gathered in the same place, the ship was eerily quiet. All the mortals were locked safely behind their doors and tucked into bed despite the early hour. I carefully approached the pool area, where, through the doors, sounds of a fight could be heard.

I checked all the doors in the vicinity of the pool looking for a good place to hide whole waiting for Demitri to show up. There was a supply closet that someone had left unlocked. I cached my weapons in the closet and waited for what felt like hours. He finally showed up. And just in time, too. I ushered him into the closet just before hooves could be heard thundering down the corridor.

Demitri and I sat in the closet, keeping as still as possible in fear of the slightest noise would draw unwanted attention. We waited with bated breath for the commotion in the hallway to subdue. When the tumult seemed to die down, we checked to make sure the hall was deserted. Once we saw that it was clear, Demitri and I made a B line back to my cabin. We pushed through the door and quickly slammed it shut.

"Well, that was fun," Demitri said locking the deadbolt and leaning his head on the door.

"Yeah, let's do it again, sometime," I replied collapsing on the couch, "who knew life and death situations could be so stressful?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Myra," Demitri remarked, "I'm going to check on the progress of things."

"Be careful. Don't get yourself killed."

"I'll try," he muttered before making a hasty exit.

I tired to fill time while waiting for the outcome of the battle. All this waiting was about to kill me. I stashed my weapons back in the closet and tired to find things to keep me occupied. I tried reading and watching television, but nothing held my attention for long. Damn that ADHD. After a while I gave up on trying to keep myself distracted, and started to pace. When there was a rapping on the door, the anxiety of waiting was replaced with the anxiety of bad news. I threw the door open to see Demitri standing in the hall with a dour look in his eyes.

"You should come, and quickly," he said with a tone of urgency.


End file.
